Ground clamp connector

ABSTRACT

The invention is directed to improvements to standard ground clamp connectors wherein there are provided additional nests in the body and cap portions in order to accept additional conductors in the additional wire receiving cavities formed. Such additional wire receiving cavities permit the connection of a single ground conductor to a grounding point, such as a ground rod or cold water pipe or the coupling of two grounding conductors. A further conductor receiving cavity is provided in the cap portion by providing an additional conductor receiving nest and clamping member associated therewith whereby three grounding conductors may be coupled together or in the more usual arrangement a grounding conductor may be coupled to a ground point and an appliance grounded by means of the same connector without the usual requirement for further connecting means for such appliances.

United States Patent 1 Sotolongo GROUND CLAMP CONNECTOR Thomas J.Sotolongo, Red Bank, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Thomas & Betts Corporation,

Elizabeth, NY.

[22] Filed: Mar. 26, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 454,977

[75] Inventor:

[451 July 1, 1975 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-Mark S.Bicks Attorney, Agent, or Firm-David Teschner', Jesse Woldman ABSTRACTThe invention is directed to improvements to standard ground clampconnectors wherein there are provided additional nests in the body andcap portions in order to accept additional conductors in the additionalwire receiving cavities formed. Such additional wire receiving cavitiespermit the connection of a single ground conductor to a grounding point,such as a ground rod or cold water pipe or the coupling of two groundingconductors. A further conductor receiving cavity is provided in the capportion by providing an additional conductor receiving nest and clampingmember associated therewith whereby three grounding conductors may becoupled together or in the more usual arrangement a grounding conductormay be coupled to a ground point and an appliance grounded by means ofthe same connector without the usual requirement for further connectingmeans for such appliances.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures GROUND CLAMP CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention is directed to thefield of grounding generally and more particularly to the grounding ofground conductors and appliances to a common ground point.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior art grounding clamp connectors areexemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,032, issued May 18, 1954, to G. C.Thomas, Jr. et al and owned by the assignee of the instant invention. Insuch patent there is shown a ground clamp consisting of a body portionand a cap portion assembled to one another by means of a bolt and nutarrangemend to provide a major wire receiving cavity defined by V-shapedtooth recesses and arranged to accept a wide range of large sizeconductors such as ground rods or water pipes therein. Also provided isa small nest for receipt therein of a smaller diameter conductor whichis generally the conductor to be grounded. Thus for a single clamp, onewire may be connected to a source of ground and if a number of devicesmust be connected to the ground point then a plurality of such clampswill be employed. Because of the construction shown, a conductor oflarge size can only be joined to one of smaller size or diameter. It isnot possible to merely join two conductors of similar diameter with sucha connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes thedifficulties noted above with respect to prior art clamps of the typeshown in the G. C. Thomas, Jr. et al patent by providing a ground clampconnector capable of assembling two ground conductors to a groundingpoint to permit the tying together of two or three ground conductors toa single point as where branching is necessary or desirable. This isaccomplished by providing an additional nest in both the body and capportions of a ground clamp connector of the type shown in the prior art,which nests cooperate to provide a conductor receiving cavitytherebetween. Additionally, a further nest is provided in the cap memberand a second wire receiving cavity is provided by positioning a clampingmember adjacent such further nest wherein a further conductor may becoupled to the cap portion of the connector. By the inclusion of theseadditional nests it is now possible to use the ground clamp connector toclamp two grounding conductors to a grounding point or to connecttogether two or three conductors at a single point. It is therefore anobject of this invention to provide an improved ground clamp connector.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved groundclamp connector having additional nests to permit the connecting of twoelectrical conductors to a ground point.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved groundclamp connector having a plurality of conductor receiving cavitieswherein at least two conductors may be connected together.

Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in thefollowing description and claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of theinvention, and the best mode which has been contemplated for carrying itout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings in which similarelements are given similar reference characters.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a ground clamp constructed inaccordance with the concepts of the prior art and which appears as FIG.6 of US. Pat. No. 2,679,032, issued May [8, 1954.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a connector constructed inaccordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the connector of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the connector of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the connector of FIG. 2 installedto a single conductor and a grounding point.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the connector of FIG. 2 showing thesame installed upon a grounding point and coupled to two additionalelectrical conductors.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the connector of FIG. 2 showing thesame coupled to two electrical conductors.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 there is shown agrounding clamp connector 10 constructed in accordance with the priorart which appears as FIG. 6 in U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,032, issued May 18,1954. Ground clamp connector 10 is constructed of a body portion 12 anda cap portion 14 assembled by means of a fastening device made up of abolt 16 and a nut 18. Body portion 12 has a V-toothed recess 20 whichcooperates with a similar V-toothed recess 22 in the cap portion 14 tohold therebetween various diameter ground devices such as ground rods ora water pipe 24 as shown in the figure. A further wire receiving cavityis formed between the nest 26 of the body portion 12 and thecorresponding nest 28 in the cap portion 14, in order to secure thereina conductor 30. With this arrangement it is possible to take a singlegrounding conductor 30 and couple same to a grounding device such as thecold water pipe 24. If it is required to connect additional devices tothe grounding device 24, additional clamps of the type shown in thefigure are required.

Turning now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 it is possible to couple a furtherconductor to a grounding point by means of the connector 40, shown inFIG. 2. The connector 40 is constructed of a body portion 42 having arecess 44 defined by a series of V-shaped teeth 46. Adjacent the firstend of the body portion 42 is a nest 48 which will form a portion of aconductor receiving cavity, as will be described below. Adjacent thesecond end of the body portion 42 is a further nest 50. The tail end ofthe body portion 42 is bifurcated as at 52 (see FIG. 4) to provide aguide slot for the tail of the cap member, as will be described below.Ribs 54 are formed along the bottom surface of the body portion 42 toadd strength and also to provide an antirotational trap for the nut 56of the fastening device to be described below.

A cap portion 60 is provided with a V-toothed recess 62 defined by aseries of V-shaped teeth 64. With the cap portion 60 properly placedwith respect to the body portion 42, recesses 44 and 62 will be properlyaligned to provide a conductor receiving cavity capable of acceptinggrounding devices of varying diameters, such as ground rods or waterpipes. Adjacent a first end of the cap portion 60 is a nest 66 whichcooperates with the nest 48 of the body portion 42 to form a conductorreceiving cavity therebetween. Similarly, at the opposite end of the capportion 60 is a nest 68 which will cooperate with the nest 50 of bodyportion 42 to form another conductor receiving cavity therebetween. Theconductor receiving cavities created between the nests 48 and 66, 50 and68, respectively are arranged to handle conductors of far smallerdiameter than the conductor handled by the conductor receiving cavitycreated by the recesses 44 and 62. Cap portion 60 terminates in a tailportion 70 (see FIG. 3) arranged to fit be' tween the bifurcated tailend 52 of the base portion 42. In this manner, the relative alignment ofthe base por tion 42 with the cap portion 60 is established andmaintained during installationv The assembly and coupling together ofthe base portion 42 and cap portion 60 is provided by means of afastening device which may be in the form ofa bolt 72 fitting within aslot 74 (see FIG. 3) in the cap portion 60, extending through a slot 58(see FIG. 4) into the nut 56 positioned between the ribs 54 of the baseportion 42. Strengthening ribs 76 are provided on the cap portion 60. Anest 78 extends through the ribs 76 and may, if desired, be formedpartially in the material of the cap portion 60. The nest 78 cooperatingwith a clamping member 80 fastened to the cap portion 60 by means of afastening screw 82 provides an additional conductor receiving cavity forthe receipt of a grounding conductor of a diameter similar to that whichwill be placed within the conductor receiving cavities created by thenests 66 and 48, 68 and 50, respectively. The end of the clamping means80 remote from the nest 78 is provided with a series of serrations, asat 84, (see FIG. 3) which permits the engagement of the clamping means82 with the cap member 60 as the fastening means 82 is tightened andprevents the rotation of the clamping member 80.

Turning now to FIG. there is shown the connector 40 of FIG. 2 employedto couple a ground conductor to a water pipe 24 of a diameter muchgreater than conductor 30. Conductor 30 is placed in the conductorreceiving cavity formed by the nest 50 of the body portion 42 and nest68 of the cap portion 60. The ground conductor 24 is introduced withinthe conductor receiving cavity created by the recesses 62 of cap portion60 and 44 of the body portion 42.

In FIG. 6 the water pipe 24 used for grounding is replaced by a groundrod 86 of smaller diameter and a conductor 30 is placed within theconductor receiving cavity created by the nest 68 of the cap portion 60and nest 50 of the body portion 42. In addition, a further conductor 88,which may be from an appliance to be grounded, is introduced within thenest 78 and held in position by means of the clamping member 80 with afastening device 82 tightened appropriately.

In FIG. 7, the connector 40 is employed to couple together the conductor30 and a further conductor 90 placed within the conductor receivingcavity created by the nest 46 of the body portion 42 and the nest 66 ofthe cap portion 60. In this arrangement, it is possible to coupletogether two conductors of relatively the same diameter as that shown bythe conductors 30 and 90. Additionally, if it is desired, a furtherconductor may be inserted within the nest 78 to permit the connector 40to couple together three conductors of similar diameter for branching orother similar grounding functions.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the furtherembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes of the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A clamp for electrically and mechanically connecting together atleast two electrical conductors comprising: a first generally arcuatejaw member having a first end, a second end and a first recess definedby a plurality of V-shaped teeth therebetween; said first jaw memberhaving a first nest adjacent said first end and a second nest adjacentsaid second end; a second generally arcuate jaw member having a firstend, a second end and a second recess defined by a plurality of V-shapedteeth therebetween; said second jaw member having a third nest adjacentsaid first end of said second jaw member and a fourth nest adjacent saidsecond end of said second jaw member; said first and second nests lyingserially within the curvature of said first jaw member, and said thirdand fourth nests lying serially within the curvature of said second jawmember; said second jaw member first end terminating in a bifurcatedturned up portion having an inner surface and extending selectivelyforwardly of said first jaw member first end, said third nest beingdefined by said second jaw member turned up portion inner surface andlying serially within the curvature of said second jaw member; andselectively operable fastening means pivotally coupling said first andsecond jaw members together whereby at least two electrical conductorsplaced in the conductor receiving cavities formed by said first andsecond recesses, said first and third nests and said second and fourthnests are coupled together when said selectively ope rable fasteningmeans is tightened appropriately.

2. A clamp as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a fifth nest onsaid first jaw member adjacent said first end thereof, said fifth nestbeing in a surface of said first jaw member opposite to the surfacecontaining said first nest; clamping means positioned adjacent saidfifth nest; and additional selectively operable fastening means couplingsaid clamping means to said first jaw member to electrically andmechanically join an electrical conductor to said clamp whereby at leasttwo electrical conductors placed in the conductor receiving cavitiesformed by said first and second recesses, said first and third nests,said second and fourth nests and said fifth nest and clamping means arecoupled together when said selectively operable fastening means and saidadditional selectively operable fastening means are selectively operatedas required.

3. A clamp as defined in claim 2, wherein said clamping means hasanti-rotational means thereon to prevent rotation of said clamping meansas said additional selectively operable fastening means is operated.

4. A clamp as defined in claim 3, wherein said antirotational meanscomprises a plurality of teeth arranged to engage and bite into thesurface of said first jaw means as said additional selectively operablefastening means is operated to hold an electrical conductor in saidfifth nest with said clamping means.

5. A clamp as defined in clamp 2, wherein the conductor receiving cavityprovided between said first and second recesses are dimensioned toaccept a range of 5 smaller than said predetermined dimension.

1. A clamp for electrically and mechanically connecting together at least two electrical conductors comprising: a first generally arcuate jaw member having a first end, a second end and a first recess defined by a plurality of V-shaped teeth therebetween; said first jaw member having a first nest adjacent said first end and a second nest adjacent said second end; a second generally arcuate jaw member having a first end, a second end and a second recess defined by a plurality of V-shaped teeth therebetween; said second jaw member having a third nest adjacent said first end of said second jaw member and a fourth nest adjacent said second end of said second jaw member; said first and second nests lying serially within the curvature of said first jaw member, and said third and fourth nests lying serially within the curvature of said second jaw member; said second jaw member first end terminating in a bifurcated turned up portion having an inner surface and extending selectively forwardly of said first jaw member first end, said third nest being defined by said second jaw member turned up portion inner surface and lying serially within the curvature of said second jaw member; and selectively operable fastening means pivotally coupling said first and second jaw members together whereby at least two electrical conductors placed in the conductor receiving cavities formed by said first and second recesses, said first and third nests and said second and fourth nests are coupled together when said selectively operable fastening means is tightened appropriately.
 2. A clamp as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a fifth nest on said first jaw member adjacent said first end thereof, said fifth nest being in a surface of said first jaw member opposite to the surface containing said first nest; clamping means positioned adjacent said fifth nest; and additional selectively operable fastening means coupling said clamping means to said first jaw member to electrically and mechanically join an electrical conductor to said clamp whereby at least two electrical conductors placed in the conductor receiving cavities formed by said first and second recesses, said first and third nests, said second and fourth nests and said fifth nest and clamping means are coupled together when said selectively operable fastening means and said additional selectively operable fastening means are selectively operated as required.
 3. A clamp as defined in claim 2, wherein said clamping means has anti-rotational means thereon to prevent rotation of said clamping means as said additional selectively operable fastening means is operated.
 4. A clamp as defined in claim 3, wherein said anti-rotational means comprises a plurality of teeth arranged to engage and bite into the surface of said first jaw means as said additional selectively operable fastening means is operated to hold an electrical conductor in said fifth nest with said clamping means.
 5. A clamp as defined in clamp 2, wherein the conductor receiving cavity provided between said first and second recesses are dimensioned to accept a range of conductor diameters larger than a predetermined dimension and said conductor receiving cavities provided between said first and third nests, said second and fourth nests and said fifth nests and clamping means are dimensioned to accept a range of conductor diameters smaller than said predetermined dimension. 